You can't keep most tractors 50hp and under running because they are made and marketed towards weekend warriors and homeowners sitting on 10 acres or less. They are simply not made to last. This is 2023. Welcome. People don't farm with something like that and haven't for decades. They aren't tough. They are lightweight and weak. Most are junk. And when I say "junk" I mean by 3,000 hours they are done if they make it that far.

It's like a Poulan chainsaw says right there in the manual it's only good for 40 hours. Same kind of engineering. Most homeowners don't put that many hours on a machine so why build one that will go 10,000 when you only need it to get through the warranty period if there even is a warranty period.

25 years ago these companies didn't think like this. Acccept the fact that these new machines are junk. That's written in stone at this point whether someone wants to accept this or not.


1) I don't know what you can get done with a 50hp tractor but it's not much and it ain't fast. Hell with what anyone says.... I've got one. I know first hand how much work it will do. It ain't much.

2) Question - what are you pulling with your 1972 tractor? And what model is it.

3) Question - how many acres are you bush hogging?

Apologize if these have been answered but It's really hard to recommend a tractor not knowing this. Otherwise we're throwing out opinionated BS IMO.

I would worry less about what color paint is on it and more about the dealer. I have 6 tractors right now 4 of which are Deere one of which is a newer model built in the last 10 years MFWD with Loader. Anything Deere has built after the mid-2000's is a complete POS. I wouldn't even look at one.

FYI - If buying new... I'm probably voting Kubota.. There are a lot of good dealers in that area. I use Capital Tractor in Brundidge and they are good. I have also bought and sold several machines with Coblentz and they are now a Kubota dealer.

This is not an endorsement of the Smurf machines but I've still got 1 90's New Holland tractor and that SOB is the toughest machine ever made and maybe also the easiest to work on. It's not the best tractor. But I respect it enough to at least admit it. There is nothing on it to break it will run with zero electronics. It will run with zero wiring doesn't even need a battery you can pull start it. It's crazy. This is the type machine you need if it will do a lot of sitting around and not be used often. Mine sits because I don't like the controls and I haven't worked on it in 10 years probably. Will easily crank after months of not being used.

There are still quite a few people around who work on older Tractors of any color..... so I wouldn't be scared as long as I had the appropriate truck/trailer to haul it.



Before we can give you anything more than a Ford/Chevy argument... We need to know what you are pulling or want to pull on the Bush Hog 5 or 6ft and the width disk for your plots or how many bottoms if you are plowing.... and also how many acres.




No government employees were harmed in the making of this mess.